


Ol' Green Eyes is Back

by BoldPreciseExperimental (TopfSecret)



Series: Little Homeworld Sinestro Society [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Crack Treated Seriously, Drama, Everyone Has Issues, Frank Sinatra - Freeform, Friendship, Gen, I took some elements from SUF but combine it with my own AU, Limb Enhancers (Steven Universe), Movie Night, My First Work in This Fandom, Nonverbal Communication, Nonverbal Peridot, Not Canon Compliant, Probably ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopfSecret/pseuds/BoldPreciseExperimental
Summary: When Little Homeworld's (well, Lapis') Al Sinestro Fan "Club" (yeah, she's sadly the only member), is holding a Sinestro movie marathon, Peridot - of all people! - asks to join in.Lapis wonders what this is about. She hasn't talked to Peridot outside of missions in years. Is Ol' Blue Eyes the key to them talking regularly again?-----Cracky prompt with a serious execution: Lapis runs a Frank Sinatra fan club.This fic is Gen with background pairings.Set in a canon divergent AU with some elements from the Movie and Future. (See series notes for more in-depth explanations.)
Relationships: Bismuth/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Garnet/Jasper/Peridot (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli & Peridot (Steven Universe), Lapis is crushing on Bismuth anyway, Minor or Background Relationship(s), queerplatonic JasDotNet
Series: Little Homeworld Sinestro Society [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2148693
Kudos: 2





	Ol' Green Eyes is Back

**Author's Note:**

> Questions only I want the answers to: "What if Jasper uncorrupted early? What if Peridot and Garnet fused? What if Peridot was nonverbal like me? What if Lapis ran a Frank Sinatra fan club?"*
> 
> ...and this, this sort of serious AU framed by an unconventional plot device, is the answer. (I'd never call it "silly" - cracky, yes, but I would never dismiss a Special Interest as silly!)
> 
> *Okay, so I'm only answering the third and fourth questions here - but you're gonna get the answer to the other questions too! xD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'll finish Know Thy Enemy (my Among Us fic) first," I said, like a liar. xD
> 
> I just really needed to post this. I don't know why I've been so inspired. I'll definitely try to rest more and study more since uni has begun...
> 
> But before that:  
> \- _Steven Universe_ belongs to Rebecca Sugar and the Crewniverse and probably Cartoon Network.  
> \- The song I'll be quoting, Frank Sinatra's 1957 version of _The Night We Called it a Day_ , was written by Matt Dennis and Tom Adair in 1941 and recorded for the album _Where are You?_ April 10, 1957.
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> **Warning: mention of death, morbid jokes, implied ableism**

Lapis Lazuli absentmindedly lifted the water in and out of the glass before her to the rhythm of [_Come Fly With Me_](https://youtu.be/9_gSFMQdGsc), moving it around in arcs and making bird shapes out of it, before dumping it unceremoniously in the container when the song ended. She'd prepared the water for human guests - after all, she'd assume the so-called "Entertainer of the Century" Al Sinestro would have human fans - too bad none came. Not even when she'd promoted a movie marathon with his best works, like _Pal Frankie, Ocean's Ten,_ and _Robin's Hood in_ _Chicago_ around Beach City.

"Not to burst your bubble, Lapis, but you made this club a little too late," that human girlfriend of Steven's - Connie - had explained when she'd asked via phone call. "If you'd made this in the 1950s, this would've been a hit!"

But this wasn't the 1950s anymore. It was the 2020s, and thus the wrong century.

Throwing herself back on one of the comfortable beanbag-fusion chairs she'd procured from Bismuth, Lapis switched from that _Shore Leave Lovin',_ one of Sinestro's earliest movies, to _[Where are You?](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKgtlRAhCp2-yz3Or_0HAKvk7-ZW3ZwrV), _ one of his famous torch albums. It wasn't fun to watch a movie alone - without a friend, she couldn't laugh at its silly moments like she and Bis had done with _Camp Pining Hearts_ . Besides, Lapis liked the album's dreamy strings, how they seemed to sigh with her, stretch with her. She loved this upgraded sound-system; the way the sound filled the room reminded her of old days in the Blue Diamond court. Only better because Al Sinestro didn't have a Pearl choir's high, squeaky, irritating voice. She almost wished she could, maybe, _accidentally_ spill some water on the speakers so she could ask the blacksmith Gem to fix it...

[ _The moon went down, stars were gone_ ](https://youtu.be/cvXLey6Lw28)

[ _But the sun didn't rise with the dawn_ ](https://youtu.be/cvXLey6Lw28)

[ _There wasn't a thing left to say_ ](https://youtu.be/cvXLey6Lw28)

[ _The night we called it a day_ ](https://youtu.be/cvXLey6Lw28)

Ha. Okay, Albert. She'd call it a day. No need to waste time thinking of Bismuth; she was smitten with Pearl anyway... Sinestro seemed to be calling out from _her_ heart, somehow - the way he sang seemed to be, like... sincere loneliness. Like calling out for fans of his, who, aside from Lapis' own ageless self, probably died out ages ago.

 _Humans_ , she groaned inwardly. _They have really short lives._

Sinestro himself lived to be only 82 years old. That was pretty long for his kind, she guessed. Lapis wondered - to the soft, crooning baritone interplaying with the orchestra in the background - if his remains were still intact. Maybe she should go to Empire City, look for the Al Sinestro section of the Gramophone Museum. Maybe they had his bones displayed like a fossil.

She was chuckling at the mental image of a human skeleton wearing a suit and a fedora when she heard the familiar clang of limb enhancers, muted by the walls. Lapis wondered who it could be. There were plenty of Era 2 gems in Little Homeschool, let alone in Little Homeworld - a Peridot? A Howlite? A Demantoid? Another gem wrongly called defective by the Diamond Authority?

_I guess there's only one way to know._

She flew towards the door and opened it. A finger-screen, thin and green, floated before her face.

"Lazuli. I heard you are holding an Al Sinestro movie marathon," the inscription in it said, in an Era 2 Gem Glyph. "I'm asking for your permission to join in."

Behind the screen was the unmistakably tacky, star-spangled form of Peridot, fellow - but estranged - Crystal Gem.

What was she doing here? They hadn't talked outside of missions for years. Lapis crossed her arms on her chest, leaning on the doorframe to eye the taller gem.

"Since when do you like Al Sinestro?" Lapis asked.

Peridot shot her a severe look, eyes narrowing behind her visor. "I don't. I'm merely curious about this human's work. They've got to have some merit for the man to be called the 'Entertainer of the Century'."

Stars, that was a lot of reading. Lapis wasn't a fan of Peridot's bossy, nasally voice before, but her screen was just a bore. This was partly why they didn't talk. Why hadn't Peridot come to Yellow Diamond anyway? Still afraid? She'd helped Steven and the others topple the yellow tyrant, though. She had nothing to fear from her… not that Lapis cared that much.

Besides, she couldn't turn Peridot away. She wouldn't want all her preparations to go to waste.

"I think they have 'a lot of merits'," Lapis said, air-quoting Peridot with a smirk. "Here, listen. I'm playing some of his best stuff."

"Very well. Lead the way."

The headquarters of the fan "club" was quite big for a single Gem, but Lapis had decorated it like she and Bismuth did for their CPH binging nest: beanbag seats with metal frames, snack food and drinks, a TV and a DVD/CD player, a computer to read e-books, some shelves, and a few Sinestro posters and album covers she'd printed for fun.

Lapis walked backwards to lead Peridot inside like a tour guide. The green Gem slowly made her way in, eyeing the posters with a frown.

"What's up with the posters?" Lapis asked, head tilted slightly forward. "You don't like them?"

The text on Peridot's finger screen came slowly, like the program was lagging. Lapis thought she wouldn't be so lax with maintenance. "Is… that… Al… Sinestro?"

"Yeah."

"I… see."

Peridot looked back at Lapis, lips pursed. The Peridot she'd known (the short, emotional, overeager one) used to fidget - she didn't anymore, but Lapis could see hints of it on her unsteady steps towards the chairs.

What was up with that? She guessed… a little concern wouldn't hurt. Bis had taught her that. Maybe Peridot hated the Ol' Azure Eyes staring at her. Lapis didn't like eye contact much either, though she hated the ones from living beings, not posters.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I can take them off."

"No," Peridot replied hastily. "I'm just surprised he looks like that."

"Expected something different?" Al Sinestro didn't look any special - he was just human, after all - even if Lapis found him beautiful.

Beautiful… Bismuth's face came into her mind. Not that he had her strength, her enthusiasm in training, her colorful rainbow hair and those strong arms that would hold her, pat her back on CPH scenes where- stop, Lapis. Stars. She was daydreaming. Didn't like that. She focused back on Peridot's screen.

"A little," Peridot replied, but didn't elaborate. She just sank down on one of the chairs, elbows on the armrest and her free fingers tapping on the metal. "When does the movie start? Or are we going to listen to songs instead?"

Lapis raised an eyebrow. _Lonely Town_ was playing in the background. "Tight schedule?"

"Something like that." Peridot's fingers, the one not used to make a screen, moved to cup her own cheek. "But I wouldn't mind listening to this song. When was this from?"

Finally, something familiar and not evasive and awkward! Lapis felt her gem glow in joy at the question. She leapt to the chair beside Peridot, using her wings to slow her fall.

"1957," Lapis began, barely containing the excitement, the buzzing in her form begging to be let out with her Sinestrivia, "From the album _Where are You…_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! One chapter down, many to go. I think I have a pretty good grip of Peridot, but Lapis is much harder... so if you have any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.
> 
> Also... Did you get all the references? Test your Al Sinestrivia! (or Frank Sinatrivia, as I would say in real life ;p)
> 
> \- "Ol' Green Eyes is Back" is a pun on "Ol' Blue Eyes is Back", the 1973 album.  
> \- Shore Leave Lovin' = On the Town (1949)  
> \- Pal Frankie = Pal Joey (1957)  
> \- Ocean's Ten = Ocean's Eleven (1960)  
> \- Robin's Hood in Chicago = Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964)
> 
> This story will have 3? 4? chapters, not sure yet, but Chapter 2 is already done so I might post it at the end of the month! But regardless, feel free to let me know what you think about this first chapter ;D

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any feedback, questions, requests, or suggestions, feel free to comment or tell me on topfsecret.tumblr.com!
> 
> As ever, take care these tough times!


End file.
